Asthma

These studies examine the protective effect of breastfeeding on asthma into childhood.

The association between duration of breastfeeding and childhood asthma outcomes

Longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding was found to protect against child asthma according to this study which used multivariable logistic regression to analyse breastfeeding duration and child asthma outcomes at age 4 to 6 years from women involved in the ECHO PATHWAYS consortium of prospective pregnancy cohorts.  The duration of any breastfeeding had a protective linear trend with asthma, but no other outcomes. For exclusive breastfeeding, there was a duration-dependent protective association present which were stronger in dyads with children born by vaginal vs caesarean delivery, although interactions did not reach statistical significance.

Wilson, K. et al. 2022. The association between duration of breastfeeding and childhood asthma outcomes. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2022.04.034

Older studies

• Modes of Infant Feeding and the Risk of Childhood Asthma: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

Klopp, A, et al (2017). Modes of Infant Feeding and the Risk of Childhood Asthma: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study, The Journal of Pediatrics, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.07.012

• Breastfeeding, maternal asthma and wheezing in the first year of life: a longitudinal birth cohort study

Azad, M, Vehling, L, Lu, Z, et al (2017). Breastfeeding, maternal asthma and wheezing in the first year of life: a longitudinal birth cohort study. The European Respiratory Journal, doi: 10.1183/13993003.02019-2016.

• Breastfeeding and asthma and allergies

Lodge, C.J. et al (2015) Breastfeeding and asthma and allergies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Paediatrica, Special Issue: Impact of Breastfeeding on Maternal and Child Health. Volume 104, Issue Supplement S467, pages 38-53.